EAM Dr S Jaishankar arrives in Washington for comprehensive dialogue with Biden administration

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is currently on a 5-day visit to United States, is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with top officials of the Biden administration including US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on Friday.

During his three-day stay here, EAM Jaishankar (66) is scheduled to meet his American counterpart, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, along with other key members of the Biden administration, said a PTI report.

“The (defense) secretary will be meeting on Friday with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Jaishankar, as part of India’s first cabinet-level visit to Washington,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a news conference.

Kirby is further quoted by PTI as saying, “The secretary is meeting with the external affairs minister, will continue discussions that the two held in New Delhi in March and will continue the robust bilateral defence and security relationship between our two countries. We are looking forward to having him here at the Pentagon and hosting him for a good set of talks.”

Jaishankar is expected to meet a group of eminent business leaders on Thursday at two different meetings organised by the US India Business Council and the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum.

“It will be a continuation of the discussion, the very productive discussions that we had when we were in New Delhi a month or so ago. Because India is a strategic defence partner and so, there are lots to discuss,” Kirby told reporters in response to a question at his Pentagon news conference.